ENGLISH
REFERENCE

flame

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈfɫeɪm// UK //flˈeɪm// flame Archaic General-service

n. the hot, bright part of a fire that you can see. It is the glowing gas that comes off something when it burns.

n. the visible, gaseous part of a fire, produced by the combustion of a fuel source. Often used metaphorically to describe intense passion or an angry online message.


SIMPLE

The candle flame flickers in the breeze.

CONTEXTUAL

The campers sat around the fire, watching the orange flames dance as the wood crackled.

COMPLEX

While the blue core of the flame indicates the highest temperature, the outer yellow layers are often more visible due to the presence of glowing soot particles.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

From Middle English flawme, blend of Old French flame and flambe, flamble, the first from Latin flamma, the second from Latin flammula, diminutive of flamma, both from pre-Latin fladma; Proto-Italic flagmā, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to shimmer, gleam, shine”). Displaced native Old English līeġ.

Etymology 2

From Middle English flawmen, from Old French flamber, flammer.

Usage

Commonly used in the plural when describing a large fire; often takes the preposition 'in' ('in flames').

Idioms2 entries

© 2026 English Reference